Rochester Alternative Learning Center

Rochester, Minnesota

Rochester Public Schools purchased a building shell with 54,000SF of unfinished space, and Wold assisted them in designing the facility into an alternative learning center. The design team had six weeks to take the project through design and construction drawings, and Wold not only met the challenging schedule but designed a truly innovative school for the student population. To respond to the district's guiding principles for the facility, the design needed to consider alternative, non-traditional styles of education to align with the students' learning styles. The team incorporated smaller seminar rooms, independent study areas, and open student-to-student collaborative and team areas. The building also provides a vital community connection, including an on-site clinic, day-care center, food pantry, and shower facilities for homeless students.